Alleged spy for Iran handed over to Germany after spying on Jewish targets

(AFP): Denmark has extradited to Germany a man accused of spying on Jewish institutions in Berlin on behalf of Iran, German prosecutors said Tuesday.

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice formally ordered the Danish national’s detention on Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The suspect, identified only as Ali S., was extradited to Germany on Monday, nearly three weeks after his arrest in the Danish city of Aarhus, the office said.

Prosecutors allege that Ali S. in June gathered intelligence on three Jewish sites in Berlin, possibly in preparation for future attacks.

Suspected of acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence, Ali S. could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

His arrest followed intelligence provided by Germany’s domestic security agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office was also involved in the investigation.

News magazine Der Spiegel and public broadcaster ARD reported that the suspect is 53, has Afghan roots and might have been acting on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

They also reported that he had monitored the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society.

Germany’s foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on July 1 following the man’s arrest.